Heat exchanger for cooling liquids



Oct. 18, 1955 c. P. FREER 2,721,061

HEAT EXCHANGER FOR COOLING LIQUIDS Filed May 2, 1952 v /IHHllll llllll E'i' Illlll llllll lnllll Illlll r lii uufilii E vl lllllll INVENTOR. BYCLYDE P. FREER United States Patent HEAT EXCHANGER FOR COOLING LIQUIDSClyde P. Freer, Warren, Ohio, assignor to Halsey W. Taylor Company,Warren, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 2, 1952, Serial No.285,717

1 Claim. (Cl. 257-242) My invention relates to apparatus for coolingliquids, more particularly to water drinking fountains of therefrigerator type, and the principal object of my invention is toprovide new and improved apparatus of this character.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part ofthis application, there is shown, for purposes of illustration, anembodiment which my invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a water drinking fountain,portions being broken away to disclose detail,

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the water storage tank, aportion being broken away to better illustrate the invention, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the water storage tank shown in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of my invention hereindisclosed is adapted for use with a refrigerator-type water cooler 10comprising a casing 11, the lower end of which encloses amotor-compressorcondenser unit 12 which may be of any suitable type andtherefore need not be shown or described in detail. A water storage tank14 is supported in the upper portion of the casing 11 in any desiredmanner.

Suitably connected to the unit 12, as by means of conduits 15 and 16, isa refrigerant carrying coil 17, and this coil is wound about the tank 14with its convolutions in close heat-exchange contact with the exteriorsurface of the tank. In the presently disclosed embodiment the conduit15 represents the inlet line for the refrigerant while the conduit 16represents the suction line for return to the unit 12.

A conduit 18 leads from a suitable source of water supply and enters thetank at an upper portion thereof, as best seen in Figure 2. A conduit 19has communication with the lower end of the tank 14 and leads to theusual handoperated valve 20 which controls flow of 2,721,061 PatentedOct. 18, 1955 drinking water to a bubbler 21 in the customary manner.Unconsumed portions of drinking water are led to a drain in the usualmanner.

The conduit 19 has a portion 22 coiled about at least certain of theconvolutions of the coil 17 and in the present embodiment the portion 22is Wound about three and one-half convolutions of the coil 17 and isbonded thereto in heat-exchange relation.

In use, when the valve 20 is opened, cooled water is drawn from the tank14 and issues from the bubbler 21. Such water, in passing through thecoiled portion 22 of the conduit, receives an additional cooling effectby reason of direct heat transfer between the coils 17 and 22 andaccordingly maximum cooling of the Water is provided.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat I have accomplished at least the principal object of my inventionand it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified,Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that theinvention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specificallydescribed, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosedembodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limitedthereto.

I claim:

A water cooler, comprising a water storage tank having an uprightcylindrical side wall and means for delivering uncooled water from asource of supply into the tank at its upper warmer portion, arefrigerant coil disposed about said side wall for a greater part of itslongitudinal length and in contact therewith to cool water in said tank,said refrigerant coil being connected to a refrigerant unit so thatcooling refrigerant flows upwardly through the coil, a water pipe fordelivering cooled water from the lower cold end of said tank to adispensing outlet, said pipe having a portion thereof coiled about thelower end of said tank and in thermal contact with a group of lowercoldest convolutions of said refrigerant coil, whereby cooled waterleaving the lower end of said tank is additionally chilled by passagethrough the coiled portion of said water pipe enroute to said dispensingoutlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,235,244 Ames et a1 Mar. 18, 1941 2,531,315 Wyllie Nov. 21, 19502,605,620 Taylor Aug. 5, 1952 2,653,014 Sniader Sept. 22, 1953 2,681,797Van Vliet June 22, 1954

